Heretofore, quilting has been done by stretching a fabric, filler and liner between the sides of an open rectangular quilting frame and then using a sewing machine to stitch a pattern through the fabric, filler and liner either under manual control or to follow a selected pattern. Such quilting operations usually require more than one person to maintain the layered material smooth and free from wrinkles. This increases the cost of quilting, making such quilting operations more expensive than desirable and ending up with a complicated machine and an expensive product.
By the present invention, we provide a simplified quilting machine which requires a minimum stretching of the material to put it in condition for quilting and enables a single operator to load a winding drum of the machine with fabric, filler and liner, place the material under tension, and stitch a desired pattern either free-hand or by following a pattern, in which the sewing machine is moved in accordance with the pattern to be stitched, with little attention of the operator of the machine, except to load the winding drum, start and stop the machine, and follow the pattern, or quilt free-hand without a pattern.
An advantage of the invention is the provision of a simpler quilting machine in which quilting may be done by a single person either free-hand or under the control of a pattern.
A further advantage is the provision of a quilting machine maintaining the fabric, liner and filler free from wrinkles simply by winding the fabric, liner and filler onto a one-direction winding drum and unwinding the fabric and liner from one-direction supply drums placing sufficient tension on the fabric and liner to free the material from wrinkles and bunching up during the quilting operation.
A further advantage of the invention is in the adjustability of the supply shafts and winding shaft relative to each other and the vertical adjustment of the winding shaft to conform to the diameter of the final quilted material.
A further advantage of the invention is in the provision of a pattern on a work table spaced from the material to be quilted so as not to interfere with the quilting of the material, but to control movement of the sewing machine head to follow the pattern.
A still further advantage of the invention is in the provision of a grooved pattern formed by a routing or like operation and positioned beneath and behind the material being quilted and in the provision of a ball bearing follower following the groove of the pattern and controlling movement of the sewing machine head to conform to the pattern.
A still further advantage of the invention is the mounting of the sewing machine head on linear anti-friction slides both for movement longitudinally and transversely of the material being quilted.
A still further advantage of the invention is the control for free-hand quilting extensible from the sewing machine head and retractable during pattern quilting, and to provide a pattern quilting control at the opposite side of the sewing machine carriage in proximity to the pattern, so the operator of the machine may view the pattern during the quilting operation, and control the speed of quilting as well as stop and start operation of the sewing machine.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.